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2008 Dodge Caliber

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Caliber years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Dodge Caliber are substantially higher than the model-year median of 165.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

294 reports with mileage · 66 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Suspension. Review the 113 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 87 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

21 crash reports4 fire reports12 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

13 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2017
Engine And Engine CoolingStructureSuspension

ENGINE CRADLE MOUNTING AND FRONT SUSPENSION PLATES HAVE FAILED OR BROKEN TWICE ON THIS CAR ONLINE COMPLAINTS SEEM VERY SIMILAR DEALER SEEMS TO IGNORE THIS PROBLEM BUT WILL FIX IT FOR 2000.00 CAR PULLS OR VEERS UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE MOVING I CANNOT I FEEL SAFELY DRIVE ANYMORE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10947216

57,000 miles · Sep 21, 2012
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE BATTERY CHARGING LIGHT CAME ON. NEXT DAY TOOK CAR TO AUTO STORE TO HAVE BATTERY TESTED AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. NEXT MORNING AT 2:00 AM WHILE DRIVING MY HUSBAND TO WORK, ALL LIGHTS ON PANEL STARTED COMING ON ONE AT A TIME AND CAR LOST POWER AND WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE…

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2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE BATTERY CHARGING LIGHT CAME ON. NEXT DAY TOOK CAR TO AUTO STORE TO HAVE BATTERY TESTED AND THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. NEXT MORNING AT 2:00 AM WHILE DRIVING MY HUSBAND TO WORK, ALL LIGHTS ON PANEL STARTED COMING ON ONE AT A TIME AND CAR LOST POWER AND WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THE CAR IS AT THE SHOP TODAY AND MECHANICS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THEY NOTED THE BATTERY WAS BAD, BUT I JUST HAD A NEW BATTERY PUT IN AND THEY STATED THE STARTED WAS NOT BAD. WHAT IS WRONG SO I CAN GET IT FIXED. ALSO CHANGE OIL LIGHT ALWAYS COMES ON EVEN WHEN I HAVE JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED; WHICH I DO EVERY 3,000 MILES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE ON VEHICLE IS 57,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10476672

75,000 miles · Apr 3, 2012
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,000.

NHTSA ODI #10453963

86,000 miles · Jan 23, 2012
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ETC WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON AN INTERMITTENTL BASIS. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AMOUNT OF POWER AND THE ROAD PERFORMANCE WAS EXTREMELY POOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAK…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ETC WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON AN INTERMITTENTL BASIS. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT A SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED AMOUNT OF POWER AND THE ROAD PERFORMANCE WAS EXTREMELY POOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM WAS RESET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ODI #10444873

80,000 miles · Sep 27, 2011
Engine And Engine Cooling

HAD COME TO A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION FOR A RED LIGHT. GREEN LIGHT MAKING LEFT HAND TURN, CAR STALLED OUT IN INTERSECTION, ABLE TO RESTART CAR. I AM AT 89K NOW EVER SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN RANDOMLY STALLING OUT AT STOPS. I KEEP UP WITH MY VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. BY DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN, MULTIP…

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HAD COME TO A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION FOR A RED LIGHT. GREEN LIGHT MAKING LEFT HAND TURN, CAR STALLED OUT IN INTERSECTION, ABLE TO RESTART CAR. I AM AT 89K NOW EVER SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS BEEN RANDOMLY STALLING OUT AT STOPS. I KEEP UP WITH MY VEHICLE MAINTENANCE. BY DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM IS A CAUSE FOR CONCERN, MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AROUND THE INTERNET. THIS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AND CORRECTED. THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE PREVENTED. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10427665

60,554 miles · Sep 10, 2011
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingFuel System, Gasoline

WHILE OPERATING THE 2008 DODGE CALIBER 2.0L ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH, THE CAR INSTANTLY STOPPED WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. THEN THE CAR WOULD GO FROM 7MPH TO 50MPH IN A RAPID ACCELERATION AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 7MPH. THIS WAS RATHER DANGEROUS AS I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED NUMEROUS TIMES DESPITE HAVING MY EMERGENCY SIGNAL FLA…

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WHILE OPERATING THE 2008 DODGE CALIBER 2.0L ENGINE AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH, THE CAR INSTANTLY STOPPED WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKES. THEN THE CAR WOULD GO FROM 7MPH TO 50MPH IN A RAPID ACCELERATION AND THEN BACK DOWN TO 7MPH. THIS WAS RATHER DANGEROUS AS I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED NUMEROUS TIMES DESPITE HAVING MY EMERGENCY SIGNAL FLASHING LIGHTS ON AS WELL AS DRIVING IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE. THE CAR ALSO EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE BACK FIRING AND ONE LOUD EXPLOSION SOUNDED AS IF IT OCCURRED IN THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO FIND AN AUTO PARTS STORE LAST NIGHT AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE TECH THERE USE THE ODBII READER AND IT INDICATED THE ERROR P0132 WHICH IS THE OXYGEN SENSOR AS THE FAILING UNIT. THE FAILURE OF THE OXYGEN SENSOR NEARLY RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE DODGE CALIBER WAS ALMOST IMPACTED BY OTHER CARS IN TRAFFIC AS THE OTHER CARS WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THE DODGE CALIBER TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE FROM 45MPH TO 7MPH. THE PART WAS REPLACED ASAP THE NEXT DAY WITH BOSCH PART # 15124 AND UPON TESTING FOR 20 MINUTES THE CAR OPERATED WITHOUT ERROR. I CALLED DODGE TO INQUIRE ABOUT A RECALL OR WARRANTY WORK AND THEY DECLINED BOTH. IN REGARD TO PUBLIC SAFETY, I REQUEST THAT A CASE BE OPENED TO INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION AND OTHERS LIKE IT. THE DESIRED OUTCOME IS TO HAVE DODGE RECALL THE O2 SENSORS AS THIS TYPE OF FAILURE CAN BE CATASTROPHIC WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT HIGHER SPEEDS WITH TRAFFIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10424604

Mileage unknown · Sep 3, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingEquipmentFuel System, Gasoline

I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO WITH AIRCHECK. LITTLE DID I KNOW I WAS BUYING A MORE DEFECTIVE CAR THAN I ORIGINALLY HAD. ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY A/C GOES TO CRAP I ASK THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT AND ALL HE SAYS IS I KNOW A GUY THAT CAN FIX IT FOR YOU FOR ALITTLE CHARGE. AND TO TOP IT OFF THE A/C GOES OUT ON T…

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I RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO WITH AIRCHECK. LITTLE DID I KNOW I WAS BUYING A MORE DEFECTIVE CAR THAN I ORIGINALLY HAD. ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY A/C GOES TO CRAP I ASK THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX IT AND ALL HE SAYS IS I KNOW A GUY THAT CAN FIX IT FOR YOU FOR ALITTLE CHARGE. AND TO TOP IT OFF THE A/C GOES OUT ON THE HOTTEST FREAKING DAY OF THE MONTH. THEN MY ENGINE MAKES THIS RATTLING NOISE MY FREAKING RADIO DOESN'T ACCEPT CD'S WHAT KIND OF WHOLE DID I GET MY SELF INTO. AND FOR THIS CAR TO BE A 4 CYLINDER IT DRINKS GAS AS IF IT WHERE A V8. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10423190

86,000 miles · Apr 22, 2011
Engine And Engine CoolingSteeringSuspension

I HAVE REPLACED ALTERNATOR, DRIVE BELT, BALL JOINTS, WHEEL BEARINGS, TIRE RODS ON MY 2008 DODGE. IT IS MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE NOW UNDER THE HOOD. I AM ONE OF MANY WHO HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10397183

56,000 miles · Dec 19, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

THE CAR STARTS, DROPS RPMS TO 700 WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, THEN STALLS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10371233

5,500 miles · Jun 18, 2009
Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE O2 SENSORS CONTINUE TO FAIL AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AT LEAST TEN TIMES AND THEY KEEP REPLACING THE SENSORS EACH VISIT. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500 AND CURRENT MI…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE CALIBER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE O2 SENSORS CONTINUE TO FAIL AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AT LEAST TEN TIMES AND THEY KEEP REPLACING THE SENSORS EACH VISIT. THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,500 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,438.

NHTSA ODI #10274279

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.